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If your story is listed in the top 5 below, congratulations, you are among the 125 writers moving on to the 2nd Round kicking off at 11:59PM EDT this Thursday, April 11th!   Congratulations to everyone that submitted a story, narrowing down a top 5 in each heat was incredibly difficult and everyone should be proud for rising to the challenge and creating a story outside your comfort zone from scratch in 8 days.  We hope the challenge was inspiring and hope to see you in our next challenge!

#1 'Calls to the Grave' by Matt Thelen SYNOPSIS - A bored group of middle-aged friends get together and form their own motorcycle club, but when they take their hobby a little too far, they become the targets of a sadistic contract killer.

#2 'The Hathaway Shuffle' by Mike Manolakes SYNOPSIS - After spending five years in prison for fraud, a telemarketer is recruited by an FBI agent to recover a valuable jewel that is a family heirloom. The jewel had been sold to the leader of an outlaw motorcycle gang, and the telemarketer must use all the skills that had put him in prison to try to get the jewel back.

#3 'Ghosts of the Revolution' by Victoria LaCorte SYNOPSIS - Linus and Marita are the trusted faces of the incumbent presidential campaign, beloved for their viral marketing videos televised throughout the nation. When a political motorcycle gang kidnaps the famous couple on the eve of the inauguration, a new series of viral videos sends the nation into protest.

#4 'The Right Mr Wright' by Helen Deverell SYNOPSIS - This is a story of a rare bike, mistaken identity, a telemarketer with an eye for opportunity, three senior citizens who fancy themselves as badass bikers, an overweight, sweaty shop owner and Big Dave.

#5 'Cashier Does Not Carry More Than $50' by Trevor Fraser SYNOPSIS - A new gang initiate has to plan the perfect crime.

#Honorable Mention 'Help Wanted' by Lydia Hovey SYNOPSIS - Harriet Smith, a desperate and dissatisfied telemarketer, hatches a cunning plan to escape and re-start her life.

#Honorable Mention 'Safe Distance' by Erik Fassnacht SYNOPSIS - A telemarketer is taunted by his partner at work, but who benefits?

#Honorable Mention 'Training Day' by Stuart Creque SYNOPSIS - Mel owes a lot of money to a loan-sharking biker gang. He makes a proposal: he’ll show them how to adopt his telemarketing skills to make triple what he owes.

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